SummerStage Presents: Fête de la Musique: -M- / Émilie Simon in association with Cultural Services of the French Embassy and Bureau Export New York

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Matthieu Chedid is the son of French singer Louis Chedid, and the grandson of the Egyptian-born French writer and poetess Andrée Chedid. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Chedid performs and records under the stage name -M-. Created as a means of overcoming his shyness on stage, the pseudonym comes from Chedid's first initial but also refers to the similar sounding French word “aime”, meaning “love”. The character -M- is a superhero, noted for having a playful nature, and recognized for his flamboyant costumes - primarily monochrome suits with slim trousers, long jackets with upward pointed collars and glasses styled into the shape of an M. Since 1997 and his first album and tour, he has been collaborating with a number of artists, both on stage and in the recording studio.

It's been quite the ride for Émilie Simon since her debut album took off back in 2003, the electronic album was critically acclaimed and went on to become a huge commercial success. Side-stepping her pared-down electronic beginnings, Simon pirouettes Mue, her sixth album, into fresh, sonic territory with lyrical reveries that sensuously saddle up to lush, organically rich string and brass arrangements. Despite writing all the songs and arrangements herself, the album still boasts a strong entourage: Sally Herbert (Bat for Lashes, Pete Doherty) conducted the string ensemble; saxophonist Gary Barnacle (The Clash, David Bowie, The Pet Shop Boys) plays in the brass ensemble; Tahiti Boy, Ian Caple, and David Kahne (Lana Del Rey, The Strokes, The Bangles) all contributed to the production; and Chris Cody (TV on the Radio) mixed the album. With a cast like this, Mue successfully combines fierce contemporary pop together with the Romantic effervescence of traditional musical ballads. The result is refreshingly powerful. Throughout, Mue boldly opens new doors with sonic arrangements that dance exclusively to the beat of ecstatic self-actualization, thereby shedding all the lies and trappings of false starts and promises by opening the windows and letting one's hair down.